Taken Iranian aid workers freed

An Iranian Red Crescent aircraft. Seven members of the Iranian Red Crescent Society who were kidnapped in Libya in July are now back home in Tehran. Photo by: Amir Habibi [GFDL or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Seven aid workers seized in Libya in July are now back home in Tehran, Iran.

Employees of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the aid workers were abducted in Benghazi a day after arriving in the country. They were taken by armed men on the way to their hotel. The kidnappers spared the delegation’s Libyan driver.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi announced news of the aid workers’ release on Saturday (Oct. 6). They were handed over to Iranian embassy officials in Tripoli, according to a news release from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The aid workers arrived in Tehran Sunday (Oct. 7), according to Tehran Times.

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In a ceremony celebrating the delegation’s release, Iranian Red Crescent Society Secretary-General Zaher Rostami welcomed the aid workers and said the society will continue its humanitarian work amid security concerns, FARH news agency reports. The Iranian delegation was supposed to discuss joint relief work with the Libyan Red Crescent Society when the kidnapping happened.

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About the author

Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

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